Which statement is MOST accurate about the prompt treatment of a patient who is suffering from a myocardial infarction?

A. If the patient is treated within the first 3 minutes, there will be no myocardial death.
B. The early use of aspirin will prevent the patient fro experiencing a heart attack.
C. The faster the treatment, the more heart muscle will be saved.
D. If the patient is in the hospital within 10 minutes, the conduction system will not be harmed.

Answer: C. The faster the treatment, the more heart muscle will be saved.
A key to effective treatment of the patient is early recognition that the patient is suffering from a condition involving the heart and advanced cardiac care delivered within the first few hours after the patient experiences the first symptoms of a cardiac problem. Time is a critical element in the survival and improved outcome of many of these patients. Death of a portion of the heart muscle is permanent and irreversible. Thus, it is important for the EMT to recognize the signs and symptoms of the many possible cardiac conditions, referred to collectively as cardiac compromise, and to provide emergency care and expeditious transport to a medical facility that is prepared to manage a patent with such a condition. Some of these patients may be eligible for drugs (fibrinolytics and antiplatelet agents) or mechanical therapy (angioplasty) that will destroy the clot and restore the blood flow to the heart. The sooner these therapies are delivered, the less damage may occur to the heart, and the better the patient's prognosis.